A powerful verité portrait of trans life in rural North Carolina. Cole Ray Davis is a young trans man who uses his candid humor and steadfast, all-inclusive Christian beliefs to counter the bigotry he experiences daily.
Director's statement
Deep Run is my first feature film; the seed of the film was planted after I spent 2004 working on youth voter mobilization and anti-Bush protest performances. I was devastated by the election results. Disenchanted with the American electorate, I began searching for a documentary subject, and I discovered the youth culture of evangelical millennials. I ended up meeting some amazing folks who had a rock venue/skate park/Christian youth center in their living room in Kinston, NC, and through that circle of rebel underground Christians, I was introduced to Cole. And then I simply fell in love with Cole and his story and his spirit. I wanted to make a film that would challenge the thinking of progressive and LGBTQ audiences and also challenge the perceptions of people of faith. First and foremost, I was drawn to Cole in order to create a portrait of Cole. It was always about Cole _ the entire human being _ and that is more than a 'trans story.'
This is part of our Directed by Women playlist.
Reviews
Things start to look tough in the doc's second half, as the practical realities of grown-up life pile on top of some already considerable stresses. But in its admiring account of Cole's perseverance, Deep Run remains both optimistic and sweet.
The Hollywood Reporter
Torn between home and family, and being accepted as who he is, Cole’s search for a welcoming church in his community is also what makes this LGBTQ story stand out from the queer cinema crowd. Leaving for friendlier urban climes is simply not an option. And Deep Run’s artistic cinematography, capturing North Carolina’s lush greenery and lovely sunsets, makes a case for why he – and every other LGBTQ youth of rural America – shouldn’t have to. Perhaps HB2 is what happens when more and more southern LGBTQs demand their fair share of those sunsets.
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Frameline International LGBTQ Festival, Outfest LA Film Festival, Woodstock International Film Festival, Doc NYC, Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival
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